Mechanical musical instrument



(No Model.)

O. H. ARNO.

. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. N0. 268,979. Pa'fll'ed DEC. 12, 1882.

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UNITED STATES OLIVER H. ARNO, OF WILMINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE AMERICAN AUTOMATIC ORGAN COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSAOHUSEFS.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,979, dated December 12, l1882.

i Application tiled March 15, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OLlVER H. ARNO, of Wilmington, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to mechanical musical instruments wherein reeds or other sound devices to be sounded by the passage of air through them are permitted or automatically caused to sound in accordance with a perforated music sheet or stripsuch as a sheet or strip ot' perforated paper-which is made to pass through theinstru ment, and as it so passes to secure the opening and closing, through mechanism, of valves to the reeds or other sound devices, the organiua, so called, being a well-known instrument of this class.

The invention consists,rst,in a mechanical musical instrument, of a cap or case arranged upon one side of the music-strip and provided with and carrying a reed-board, with its reedchambers, cach containing a reed, a valve to each reed-chamber, and separate mechanism for securing the opening and closing ot' each valve by and because otthe passage of a perforated music-strip in proper relation therewith, all substantially as hereinafter described; second, in a mechanical musical instrument, ot' reed-chambers having reeds and valves and levers for the opening and closingof the valves by and because of the passage ot' a musicsheet in proper relation therewith, in combination with a spring constructed and arranged to make the connection between each lever and its valve, all substantially as hereinafter described; third, in a mechanical musical instrument, of reedchambers having reeds and valves, in combination withlevers arranged for openingand closing the valves and to so operate by and because ofthe passage of a music-sheet in proper relation therewith, and to exert an elastic and yielding pressure upon the valves in closing and holding them closed, and when operated for the valves to open to leave the valves free to move without obstruction or hinderance from the levers, all substantially as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying plate of drawings,Fig ure lis a central vertical section from the front to the rear end of the instrument. Fig. 2 is in part elevation at the rear end and a transverse vertical section through one pairot' the exhaustbellows and the part of the instrument above the bellows. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3, Fig. 1, for apart of the width of the instrument and a plan view Jtor the remainder of the width, with some portions of the top board of the casing removed in substance, those portions below the disconnected dotted line or 0r of Fig. l and the top of the iiexiblyconnected frame making a part ot' the raceway for the perforated music-strip; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, vertical sections, each illustrating modifications, to be hereinafter particuarly described.

In the drawings, A A represent the boards making the two sides, and B and O are boards, respectively, making the i'ront and rear ends, all of which are joined in any suitable manner, and together with a top board, I), make substantially the casing of the instrument.

E E are exhaust-bellows, i'our in number. These. bellows are placed horizontally, two above and two below a common horizontal board, F, which is secured to the side boards, A, and all have vertical air-passages a,leadiug from them to a horizontal air-passage, b, in the horizontal board F, which air-passage Z) opens to a common vertical reservoir-bellows, II, that in its upper portion communicates with the lower end ot' au inclined vertical air-passage, c, having at its upper end a vertical mouthpiece, d, opening at and in a horizontal plane coincident with the upper and flat surliaee, j', of the top board, D, ot' the casing. rIlhe exhaust-bellows E E are in pairs, and for those of each pair to operate alternately-that is, for the one to ogen while the other closes, and vice versa-the bellows ot' each pair are connected together by a rod, g, and one ot' each pair is connected by a separate pitn1an-rod,h, to separate crank-arms Zot' a common horizontal shaft, L, which is located in the top board, D, to turn within a groove, m, thereof in suitable bearings of the side boards, A, and to be driven by a crank-handle, M, outside of the casing.

The crank-shaft L, in its portion within the groove m ot' the top board, constitutes the feed-roller N, and directly above it is a presser- IOC roller, O, hung at each end in suitable bearing-blocks, a, having a yielding pressure, all in a manner with the rotation of the feed-roller to feed the paper strip P along the upper surt'aceot' the top board, D, and otherwise through the instrument, as will hereinafter appear, and also to work theeXhaust-bellows E, and through them the reservoir-bellows H, all of which bellows, except as herein particularly explained, are constructed and arranged for operation as usual. v

The mouth-piece d, hereinbetore referred to, runs across the instrument, and it has a vertical slot or air-passage, of a length to embrace all the lines of perforaticns in the musicstrip, and about and around it is located a horizontal frame, Q, which has a rectangular opening, p, oflarger dimensions than the outer periphery ot' the mouth-piece.

The frame is connected by leather q or other suitable flexible material to the outside ofthe mouth-piece below its open end, which leather connection closes the space p between the frame and the mouthpiece.

The frame Q, flexibly connected to and situated about the mouth-piece, as above described, is within an opening, i', ot' the top board, D, and the music-strip, in passing through the instrument, moves over the surface of the frame Q and the open end ofthe mouth-piece d, and also the top board, D, and in passing` over the frame Q and mouth-piece el it passes between them and the under side of the cap or case W, which is situated directly above.

The cap or case W carries the reed-board R, covers the frame Q and mouth-piece d, and in such position it is supported by a rest at each end upon cheek-blocks s ofthe top board, D, to which or to the side boards, A, it is secured, and obviously preferably by screws, so that it can be readily attached or detached.

The positions above described of the cap or case NV and ofthe trame Q are such relatively' as to secure close bearings ot' both parts upon the perforated paper strip in its passage between them. The cap or case NV has an inside chamber or wind-chest, S, that is open to the air-passage o ot' the mouth-piece d., and to a series of vertically-inclined reed-chambers, t, arranged in parallel lines and in vertical planes corresponding to the lines or rows ot' perforations in the music-strip, and to the vertical air-passage o ot' the mouth-piece d.

Each reed-chamber has a reed, d2, arranged at a vertical inclination and in communication by an air-passage, i0, with the outside, and by an air-passage, e, with the air-chamber or wind-chest S ot the cap or case W; and each air-passage c has a separate valve, T, arranged at an angle of inclination and hinged at its upper end, and all so as to be capable of opening from its own weight and ot' being closed against and over the air-passage. Each valve T has a bent spring, w, attached to it, and through this spring it rests upon and against the upper arm, a', ot' an angular lever, U. These several angular levers preferably turn in suitable guideways, y, of the cap or case XV, and upon a common horizontal fulcrum-pin, z, and there is a lever for each valve and for each row ot' perforations in the music-sheet, and as to the music-sheet, each is arranged to bear by. the tip a2 at the outer end ot' its lower arm, b2, down upon the unperfo 1ated parts ot' the music-strip and to pass into and project through the pert'orations of the music-sheet into the air-passage o ot' the mouth-piece, according as either an unpert'orated or a perforated portion of the niusic-strip is passing under them, and this downward pressure o'tl the lever is because ot' its own weight and the weight of the valve, and its pressure because ot the suction ot' air by the exhaust-bellows within the wind-chest or air-chamber S ofthe reed-board.

When a lever U is at rest upon an unper- 'orated portion ot' the music-sheet, the valve connected to such lever, as has been described, is closed, and when it is in a perforation ofthe music-sheet said valve is opened, the latter movement being allowable because ot' the release of the pressure of the lever on the spring of the valve, and the former movement beingl secured because ot' the then pressure ot' the lever upon the valve through its spring.

V is an opening` at and along the rear side ofthe cap or case; and c2 is a glass plate, properly secured in place and closing` said opening.

ln the mechanical musical instrument above described the music-strip as it passes through the instrument is confined closely between the frame Q and the under side of the cap or case W, because the frame is free to move to such bearing from the pressure of air acting upon its outer and lower side in an upward direction, and for the reason that the air is being exhausted in and out ot' the chamber S otl the cap or case W by the operation ot' the bellows described; also, the spring ni, making the connection between the valve T and the operatinglever U for the valve, and which receives its movement because ot' the passage oi" a perforated or unpert'orated part ot" the illusie-strip under its tip a2, as has been described, secures elasticity in the pressure upon the valve to close and hohl it closed, and, also, can automatically adjust the valve to compensate for wear ot the parts and unevennessl of the musiestrip. As each valve is suspended the instant the pressure of the operating-lever upon it is released itis left free to open of its own weight, being assisted, of course, by the exhausting of the air through its reed or reedchamber in a direction corresponding with the opening movement of the valve.

The mechanism composed of the reed-board R, with its reeds d2 and reed-chambers t, valves T, and levers U for opening and closing the recdchainbers to the passage of air through them and their reeds, as has been described, is all above the plane ot' movementof the inusic-strip, and is all contained upon and carried by the cap or case NV, which board, as has been explained, it is preferred to secure in its place IOC) IIO

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so that it can be freely and readily placed in and out of position.

In Fig. 4 the reed-valve T is shown as located vertically upon the outside of the reedboard, and to be opened by the movement or slide of a horizontal rod, f2, which is pressed forward against the valve by the swingr ot' the lever U as it enters a perforation of the music-strip, and is withdrawn from the valve by the swing of such lever U in the opposite direction because of the passage of an unperforated portion of the music-strip under the tip a2 of the lever. The. valve, when the lever is upon an unperforated portion of the music-strip, is closed, and when the lever is within a perforation thereofis opened, the closing being caused by the pressure of air vupon the outside and the suction of air upon the inside of the valve, and the opening by the pressure ot' the rod f2 aga-inst lthe valve.

Fig. 5 shows the parts particularly described as to Fig. 4 in substantially a similar arrangement, and they dier from the same parts as arranged in Fig. 4 only in slight details of construction, and in the valve 'l and its operating-rod f2 being arranged at angles of inclination relative to the travel ot' the music-strip, all ot' which is apparent on an inspection ofthe two figures.

Fig. Gis a view on an enlarged scale of a reed-valve, and its construction and arrangement are in subst-ance such as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and differ therefrom only in slight details, which are apparent on inspectionas, for instance, in Fig. 6, the valve T in opening is limited by a headed stop-pin, g2, secured to the reed-board It, whereas in Figs. 1,2, and 3 it is limited by a sta.ple,h2, straddling the valve and fastened to the reed-board, provided of course in either case the operatinglever U is not in position therefor.

If desired, springs Z2, as shown, maybe coinbined with the flexibly-connected board or trame Q to exert a yielding pressure thereon in a direction to help to confine it against the music-strip and the strip against the reedboard.

The arrangement of the flexibly-connected and yielding frame Q herein described obviously operates independently of the mechanism controllingthe reed-valves, and thus is capable of use when the music-strip constitutes of itself the valves to the reeds, it being ot course only necessary that in such case each reed-chamber shall have a separate air-passage leading from it to its line or row ot' perforations of the music-strip; or, in other words, that the open chamber S of the cap or case be constructed with separate air-passages leading to each reed-chainber from and in line with the separa-te rows ot' perforations of the musicstrip.

The several reed-chambers ofthe reedboard, at their upper portions, have a cover, m2,\vhich is hinged at a2, and thus the reed-chambers can be opened and closed to secure swell eifectsin the playing ofthe instrument.

Having thus described inyinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. Ina mechanical musical instrument, a cap or case carrying a reed-board having reedchambers and reeds, valves to the reed-chainbers, and mechanism for opening and closing said valves, which is arranged within and carried by said cap or case, in combination with a music-strip, P, bellows, and a suitable guide or race way for the music-strip, combined and arranged together, all substantially as described.

2. In ainechanical musical instrument, reedchambers having reeds and valves, and levers U for operating said valves by a music-strip, I), in combination with bearing-springs between the levers and valves, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, a reed-chamber having reeds and valves, and levers U for operating said valves by a musicstrip, in combination with bearing-springs iv between the levers and valves, and attached to only one oi' the saine, all substantially as described, i'or the purpose specified.

In testimony whereoFI have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OLIVER H. ARNO. lVitnesses EDwiN W. BROWN, WM. S. BnLLows. 

